I came back to work when my baby was 7 month old. I started pumping 2 times in the office (from the toilet), and also after the night feed. I could manage to pump enough for 2 feeds of 6oz each. When my baby was around 9 month old, I pumped just once at the office, and then at home (if I couldn't get enough for a single feed).

When I was pumping twice, I would rise the bottle and pump with hot water (if no one was in the pantry) and then put everything in the refrigerator till the next pump. At the end, I think everybody at the office knew that I was pumping , since I would just take the packed milk out from my bag (after the pumping) and put it in the freezer. I just didn't mind.

About dropping supply, I didn't really have that problem.. .In fact, I seemed to be pumping more than what my baby drink from my breast, as I always noticed that I pumped less milk on Monday, after we have spent the weekend breastfeeding without expressing.

About the pumps, I got 2 manual pumps from Avent, and would pump on both side at the same time.

Have you considered reverse cycling so the pressure to pump is not so great? It would probably require co-sleeping though, so not sure if that solution is suitable for you.

That's also an option...really. At one point I found because I was busy at work it was better for me to feed more at night so my daughter co-slept with us and fed throughout the night and then she didn't need as much during the day. I slept really well but then again, we co-slept with her from the beginning so I was used to it.

“Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware …
To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory.
She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon.”

About the pumps, I got 2 manual pumps from Avent, and would pump on both side at the same time.

Wow. I must have a case of super sensitive nipples because any manual pump I used was just murder on them--I couldn't pump long-term with a manual pump. But, hey....if it works, do it, right?

“Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware …
To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory.
She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon.”

Really? I thought that the reason people get electric pumps was because they don't want to get their arms sore working on the pumping, lol

Well, they do make your arms sore and for me didn't get much milk out and it took more than twice as long and they are rough on the nipples--at least for me.

Last edited by thanka2; 02-01-2012 at 04:11 PM.

“Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware …
To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory.
She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon.”

Apologise if I'm stating the obvious. Is it possible for your helper/ carer, to bring your baby to you, so that you can feed her during your lunch hour?
Sorry that you have been having to face these difficulties.

Hi MommieMid -- Unfortunately, my office is far from home -- 45 min by public transport. It would take two hours for the amah to get the baby here, have me feed her, and get the baby home. And a taxi is expensive as she'd have to cross the harbor twice.
Plus, there's no breastfeeding room anywhere -- and I'm not feeding her in a toilet cubicle! It's an extremely quiet, open-plan office and the staff are mostly men. Yesterday, I had to make a personal phone call,and I felt awkward doing even that at my desk.
It's nobody's fault -- it's just that my office is not set up to be mom friendly. I'm the only mom here. In fact, I think I'm the only mom in my department for many years.